R4SDHC Firmware Guide (includes: How to get Pokemon B/W working!)

--Topic still under construction!!--​

If you want to play Pokémon Black/White, use RetroGameFan's newest update v6.53, see also the important note below!!

This topic is intended to be a guide on how to set up different firmwares on the R4SDHC (www.r4sdhc.com) in order to be able to play the lastest games.

It seems that there are a lot of people experiencing problems to get this card updated. That is why I created this topic. In the future it may also cover other cards, but for the moment it will concentrate on the R4SDHC. I try to check all the information personally, as I own a R4SDHC too, but obviously I can't try all games and all different possible setups myself.



Original Firmware
R4 SDHC Kernel v1.34

Spoiler

- latest version
- dates from 25/03/2010
- includes Pandora
- contains: _PATCH_ folder, _system_ folder, moonmem folder, monnshl2 folder, _DS_MENU.DAT, _DS_MENU.INI, _DS_MSHL.NDS, R4_PANDORA.NDS, r4dldi.dat
- available at r4sdhc.com or linfoxdomain.com

R4 SDHC Kernel v1.32

Spoiler

- older version
- dates from 14/01/2010
- without Pandora
- available at linfoxdomain.com

You will always need the original firmare, even if you want to use another firmware. In that case the other firmware will be started from the original one (dual-boot).

To set the original firmware up, just download the archive (*.rar file) and extract it to your computer. Then copy all the files to the root of your SD card.



YSMenu/TTMenu
RetroGameFan Multi Cart Update v6.53
or
RetroGameFan R4SDHC (www.r4sdhc.com) v6.53

Spoiler

- available at RetroGameFan Updates/Releases at GBATemp
- additional information at iluvfupaburgers' topic on TTMenu/YSMenu
- Note: To use YSMenu for R4 Clones from Multi Cart Update, you have to remove all Pandora related files or use v1.32
- Note: RetroGameFan R4SDHC (www.r4sdhc.com) v6.53 contains an old r4patch.dat file. Use the one from Multi Cart Update if you experience "errcode=-5" problems when trying to load newer (DSi enhanced) games.

Important note: If you get "errcode=-5" when using the Retro's specific version for R4SDHC, replace the file "r4patch.dat" in the TTMenu folder by the "r4patch.dat" file from RetroGameFan Multi Cart Update v6.53\R4_Clone YSMenu\TTMenu.
This allows you to play also new games like Pokemon Black/White.

Step-by-step guide: How to get the newest games (like Pokemon B/W) work on your R4SDHC
First possibility:

Spoiler

[list type=decimal]
[*]
Use firmware v1.32
-or-
use firmware v1.34 (and delete all Pandora related files:
_PATCH folder,
R4_PANDORA.NDS,
r4dldi.dat,
inside _system_ folder: gbaframe.bmp, r4dldi.dat, R4patch.dat, savlib.dat, system.ank, system.fon, system.l2u, system.u2l, usrcheat.dat, YSmenu1.bmp, YSmenu2.bmp, YSMenu.ini)

[*]
Get Retrogamefan's Multi Cart Update v6.53

[*]
Copy the TTMenu folder and YSMenu.nds from the R4_Clone YSMenu folder to the root of your card

[*]
On your DS start first the YSMenu.nds and then the game you want.

[/list]

Second possibility:

Spoiler

[list type=decimal]
[*]
Get Retrogamefan's specific version for R4SDHC (www.r4sdhc.com)

[*]
Delete all your firmware (and moonshell) related files on your card and put the files:
_PATCH folder, _system_ folder, Games folder, moonmemo folder, moonshl folder, TTMenu folder, _DS_MENU.DAT, _DS_MENU.INI, _DS_MENU.SYS, _DS_MSHL.NDS, DEFAULT.nds, r4dldi.dat, TTMenu.nds
on the root of your card
(for advanced users: you can also just put the files which need to be replaced on your card)

[*]
Important: To avoid "errcode=-5", you need the newest version of the file "r4patch.dat" in the TTMenu folder. You can get it from RetroGameFan Multi Cart Update v6.53\R4_Clone YSMenu\TTMenu.

[*]
When you turn your DS on, YSMenu will load automatically and you just need to start the game you want.

[/list]

Wood/WAIO
WAIO v1.15 (latest official version from Xenon++)
or
WAIO v1.15 (REPACKED v2.9 beta) (from CoolKill3r)

Spoiler

- see CoolKill3r's topic on Wood R4

Note: There exists another R4SDHC card (http://www.r4rts.com/) which can use Wood for M3, YSM3 and TTMenu for R4SDHC (contained in RetroGameFan's Multi Cart Update). But these do NOT work on R4SDHC (www.r4sdhc.com)!



To Do List:
- step-by-step guides on how to set up the different firmwares
- pros/cons of the different firmares
- info about Pandora
- how to use cheats, skins, ...
- set up moonshell
- link section
- format SD card


Any comments, questions or suggestions are welcome!

 

thanks for the guide, i am one of the people who are experiencing this problem.
and so far, you are the only one who is able to make my pokemon black reach its main title.

but i still have problem, because i think the game is slower than the usual, and after the scene with the professor and give name to my char,
the blank screen exist. the game cannot proceed.
so what is wrong?

i am using the r4 sdhc v1.32 and the dual booting from retrogamefan cart.

 

They is a new issue of extinfo.dat causing a freeze on loading, this is because it has over exceeded it's limit of 900 titles

To fix RGF has modified the ttpatch.dat / m3patch.dat / r4patch.dat / TTMENU.dat these have to be replaced to fix the issue.

RGF: 6.68 http://filetrip.net/f25982-RetroGameFan-Multi-Cart-Update-6-68.html - modified DATs within

 

Waio 1.29 also works great on r4 sdhc : http://forum.romulation.net/index.php?topic=55687.msg1296374#msg1296374

 

yes, i am aware. i am using the latest retrogamefan cart, v6.68 and already replaced the r4patch.dat but it still not working.

still not working. as you suggested, i load WAIOv1.15[J16]v6.NDS for my r4 sdhc v1.32, and load wood r4 dldi.nds after.
then i play pokemon black but only white screen appear.

 

Dud try Loading WAIO 1.29.NDS

 

Maybe get the patched Pokemon black version, I can no longer find it on this site...

try google.

 

okay, it works. but in the end, it's the same with my first problem. after i give name to my char, and the professor's done talking, the next thing the game freeze on blank screen.

i think there is no problem with the game, since i am able to play it in my EDGE, but still no luck with the R4

 

Depeands om what R4 type, They is no issue on R4 original vr YSMenu - AP fixes are always added inside of extinfo.dat

 

so you're saying my R4 sdhc is fake?

 

R4 sdhc type is a clone card, not a fake.

With RGF YSMenu the game should work clean ...

Sorry i don't have a clone, So anyone who dose can help you, Anyone ?.

 

hey first I just want to say thank you! I've been trying for days to get this to work. my issue now is that with some games I get error code 4, anyone know how to fix this?

 

how do I do that?

 

Its an r4 sdhc revolution for ds (ndsl/nds) the only way I could get it to work at all was by doing exactly what it said here. Before that I tried numerous sites and downloaded lots of firmware... nothing worked. suffice to say I did not want to go through all that again so figured my safest bet was to ask here.

 

thank you!! you've made me a very happy woman lol

 

Your R4 has the text " R4 SDHC Revolution for DS (NDSL/NDS) " right? No urls, no "i", no "Upgrade" etc?

I have it too, and I did everything as explained here, but couldn't get it to work (I just got a "Menu?" error). After googling for a while, it appeared as if I needed to take the ttmenu.dat file from RetroGameFan's Multi Cart updates' R4-clone YSmenu folder and copy it to my SD card's root folder, although the first post in this thread only mentioned doing this to the TTMenu folder and YSMenu.nds file.

After having done that, I get the following error when my DS boots:

Yasu software - YSMenu
http://w w w.usay.jp/
build: YASU Mar 21 2009 16:44:45
Error: can't fatInitDefault

This happens even if I format my SD card with proper software/settings, both with kernel 1.34 and kernel 1.32 .

Could you tell me the exact steps that you followed that got your R4 SDHC to work? Did you do anything differently than as is explained in the first post? Thanks.

Also, my R4 does work with old firmware from 2009 (in the root folder it had the folders 'Games', 'Moonshl' and 'SYSTEM', and the files _DS_MENU, _DS_MSHL.DS , TTMENU.dat and TTMENU.sys), but I tried running Ghost Trick (Japanese, patched by BAHAMUT) and it wouldn't load, so I'm guessing my firmware has to be updated.

I'm out of ideas for the moment, any help is very much appreciated.
Post Merge: [time]1386929233[/time]
Nevermind, I 'solved' the problem...

Apparently the R4 SDHC kernels (1.32 and 1.34) aren't made for my card, even though the name is identical. I followed the original post's advice but used the firmware I downloaded in 2009 (from some Chinese site that I can't seem to find anymore) and now the game works like charm.

Thanks, pyro4erebus!

 

Well sir this made my day. Playing Pokemon Black 2 atm (everythings works). I've read your guide very carefully and then applied the RGF 7.00 version instead of 6.53. This works like a charm on my R4SDHC (www.r4sdhc.com).